CONNOR CONNECTIONS NEWS Vital role of the Diocesan Reader olidays, illness and vacancies mean Diocesan Readers with cassock, surplice and blue Hpreaching scarf are a familiar sight in many parish prayer desks and pulpits. A survey of the workload of Diocesan Readers in Connor produced returns from 27 Readers indicating they had either read the service of Morning or Evening Prayer and/or preached at 1176 services in a one year period. Dennis Grattan of St Brigid’s, Glengormley, who has served 43 years, Eleven had been involved in 50 services while four had receives a gift from been involved in more than 70 services, leading and Bishop Harper. preaching at three services on certain Sundays which sometimes involved considerable travel. This is a Over the past few years Mrs Bobby Moore, Robert significant contribution to the worship of the church and Simpson, Harold Sharp and Andrew Ker have been also in individual parishes. ordained while Readers presently in training include Helen MacArthur, Michael High, John McClure, Graham Many Readers have also served for a considerable time. Nevin and William Patton. Dennis Grattan of St Brigid’s, Glengormley, has served for 43 years; Dr Wilfred Mulryne will complete 35 years’ A recent innovation in the Reader ministry in Connor service this year. Bob Fryer will complete 31 years’ diocese has been the introduction of Parish Readers. service while other long servers include Jim Neill, 29 Candidates are selected in the usual way, but undergo a years, Jack Hassard and Dennis Fullerton, 26 years, and much shorter training course. Parish Readers are not Mr Robert Harper, 25 years. licensed to preach and their licence lapses when there is a vacancy in the parish but it is renewable on the Despite these outstanding examples the supply of recommendation of the new Incumbent. candidates is not keeping pace with the number leaving through retirement or death. Anyone interested in the Reader ministry plays a vital role in the worship of the Diocesan Reader ministry must obtain the approval of diocese, and although this is likely to change with the their Rector at a selection panel. Their studies include formation of team ministries in grouped parishes, attendance at tutorials, the writing of essays and regular Readers will continue to rise to the challenge of meetings. conducting services and preaching where appropriate to the benefit of the whole church. Not surprisingly, Diocesan Readers have become a fertile recruitment field for the Non Stipendary Ministry. Contributed by Mr George Leckey COVER PHOTOGRAPH: BISHOP-ELECT ALAN ABERNETHY LOOKS ACROSS BELFAST LOUGH FROM BALLYHOLME INTO Contents CONNOR. Helping children in Siberia 03 IF YOU HAVE ANY EDITORIAL COMMENTS OR WOULD LIKE TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE NEXT EDITION OF CONNOR Life in Zambia for the Scott family 04 CONNECTIONS PLEASE CONTACT: Diocesan news round-up 06 KAREN BUSHBY Connor’s new Bishop 08 CONNOR DIOCESAN COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER Monkstown in the spotlight 10 CHURCH OF IRELAND HOUSE 61-67 DONEGALL STREET View from the Hill - David Burnside 12 BELFAST BT1 2QH Tackling addiction 14 TEL/FAX: 028 4066 0798 MOBILE: 07766 103880 EMAIL: [email protected] Website: www.connor.anglican.org TWO CONNOR CONNECTIONS NEWS Saving children’s lives in Siberia ne Connor parish is reaching out to starving Two boys in Chita street children living not in the dust of India or shelter in a sewer Africa, but in a freezing Siberian city with at times as the snow lies on O the ground above. only a sewer for shelter. Photo: Child Aid. Since the break-up of the former Soviet Union, the number of children forced to live on the streets of Russia and the Republics has spiralled. Through Child Aid’s Helping Hands Appeal, the parishes of St Peter and St James in Belfast has been supporting these children through prayer and by sending funding for food, boots and winter coats which will literally enable some to survive the minus 40 degree Siberian winters. Parishioner David Cromie said that following the collapse of socialism in the former Soviet Union, the currency crashed, prices rose and the social protections of the former system disappeared. “At the bottom of all this is where the children come in, particularly in Russia where there is a big tradition of drinking of illegal vodka,” he said. “It is cheap, can be very bad and is like a drug. When people are drinking they cannot work. In some of the cities there is now a failed generation because the economic base has been taken away. Some parents are literally drinking themselves to death.” He went on: “A lot of the kids are kicked out. They end up living wherever they can find shelter. Many of the girls will turn to prostitution and the boys become involved in burglary and theft and other anti-social activities. As for education, you can forget about it. Rev Charles McCollum, Rector of St Peter's; Mr David Cromie; Mrs Sandra Hutchman; Mr Peter Gray and Mr Wes Holmes who make up the Charities Action Group at St Peter and St James. “We found examples of children in Siberia trying to survive in minus 40 degree temperatures living in sewers or sleeping on pipes carrying irradiated water from Prize for Connor Connections nuclear power plants. It is a massive problem.” onnor Connections, The awards were The parish formed a small Charities Action Group, which the magazine for the presented by the C as a first target selected Child Aid because of its high Diocese of Connor, was Archbishop of Armagh, impact low cost approach to the problems. The select voted runner-up in the the Most Rev Alan vestry backed the idea by providing start up funds. The diocesan magazine Harper, who rector, Rev Charles McCollum, encouraged the group to category in the Church of acknowledged the hard take the issue to the whole congregation. Ireland Magazine and work of all those who Website competition. contribute to “We didn’t even ask the parishioners for money, but they communicating the responded generously,” said David. “We have supported The winner was N:Vision, message of the Church. the soup kitchens they run for the children, and sent funds from Derry and Raphoe. to buy winter coats and boots. Child Aid is setting up a Archdeacon Stephen new shelter in Chita and we have helped with that by Magheragall Parish in McBride, chair of the providing funds to secure the services of a psychologist to Connor won the best Connor Communications work with traumatised children and families. parish magazine, and the Committee, received the Diocese of Down and award for Connor “We started off feeding the hungry and clothing the Dromore won the best Connections from the naked. We want to follow these specific instructions and diocesan website. Archbishop. it seems to have struck a very positive chord with the parish,” David added. THREE CONNOR CONNECTIONS MISSION Family helping to equip Zambians for Zambia Keith and Lyn Scott with their children Adam and Hannah on a visit home from Zambia. he glens of Antrim are a far cry from the dusty preaches and takes services. His English is translated plains of Zambia, but this is where Keith Scott and into the local Bemba language by an interpreter. This young family set up home four years ago. The family live in a new bungalow with a few problems, Deadly crocodiles and spitting cobras have become a such as undrinkable water, a leaky tin roof and plaster way of life for Keith, his wife Lyn, and their children which falls when a door bangs. Adam, 16, and Hannah, 12. Lyn said the couple don’t see themselves as ‘old The family live in Kitwe, Copperbelt province, close to fashioned missionaries,’ but enablers, training people up the Congo border. Keith is a lecturer at the Anglican to serve in the church in Zambia. Seminary of St John the Evangelist in Kitwe, while Lyn also works in the seminary teaching study skills and “Most mission activity is about skills training, trying to get advanced English. people to take up projects for themselves,” said Keith. “It is very difficult to keep people with training in Africa but Zambia is a Christian nation, and in the Kitwe area ideally in the longer term people with skills will take over around 60 per cent of inhabitants are nominally positions in Zambia. We train Zambians for Zambia.” Christian. Keith was a parish priest before leaving Northern Ireland Keith is parish priest of Chambishi, one of a group of for Africa. He spent three years in St Matthew’s, churches between Kitwe and Chingola. He visits, Shankhill Road and 14 in the Glens of Antrim in the FOUR CONNOR CONNECTIONS MISSION parish of Ardclinis, Tickmacrevan, Layde and sense in the Zambian population that they need to co- Cushendun. exist to be a nation,” said Keith. “We felt we would like to do a spell overseas. We applied But Zambia cannot escape another of Africa’s major to go to Sierra Leone, but that didn’t work out because of scourges, Aids. “Every week we know someone who the conflict there. Then the opportunity arose to go to dies of Aids or suffers an Aids related death. Many of Zambia,” Keith said. Zambia’s young professionals will die of Aids,” said Keith. Before the trip Keith visited Zambia to get an idea of what the family’s future home would be like, what schools were available for the children and how difficult life might be. “We had to think about things like that, but we felt it was right.